The present invention relates to weather visualization. In particular, the present invention relates to a three-dimensional weather visualization system.
In recent years, meteorological information has become increasingly important. Weather information is collected almost instantaneously from numerous sources. For example, weather information can be collected from a multitude of individual sites scattered across the world (for example, airports), various types of weather radar, and various types of weather information collected from satellites.
Typically, this information is used to generate forecasts and to provide up-to-date weather maps. For example, television meteorologists generate simple two-dimensional maps which show high and low pressures zones, various temperatures and other miscellaneous weather related information. Information from weather radar is typically displayed by overlaying a two-dimensional map with a radar scan. Similarly, television stations typically display satellite photographic information by overlaying a photographic image with a country or state outline. A sequence of photographic or radar images can be shown sequentially to provide weather animation. Relative to the complexity of present day weather collection techniques and the great volume of weather related information now available, these display techniques are rather simplistic.
There is a continuing need for improved weather display techniques, particularly ones which are capable of conveying a relatively large amount of information in an easy to understand format.